This December, Will Ferrell is trading his elf hat for black-tie attire. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will present the comedian and actor with the Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara.
Per the festival’s official press release, the annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film—which is named for the late Hollywood icon, who died in 2020—“honors a lifelong contributor to cinema through their work in front of the camera, behind, or both.” The award was first established in 2006 and benefits the film festival’s year-round educational programs.
Past recipients include Ryan Gosling, Michelle Yeoh, Martin Scorsese, Hugh Jackman, Dame Judi Dench, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Jessica Lange, Forest Whitaker, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Ed Harris, and John Travolta.
The beginnings of Ferrell’s successful Hollywood career can be traced back to his early days on Saturday Night Live. He joined SNL as a cast member in 1995 and stayed on for seven seasons, making a name for himself with his various impersonations (including George W. Bush) and memorable characters like nightclubber Steve Butabi. Since his 2002 exit, Ferrell has returned to host the show five times (most recently in 2019), making him a member of the esteemed Five-Timers Club.
Ferrell, of course, went on to establish himself as a successful actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Some of his notable starring roles include Elf, Anchorman, Step Brothers, Stranger than Fiction, Barbie, and, most recently, Despicable Me 4. He has also received five Primetime Emmy Awards—three as an executive producer on HBO’s Succession and two as an EP on the ABC series Live in Front of a Studio Audience (hosted by Jimmy Kimmel).
The actor’s next project, Will & Harper, arrives on Netflix on September 27. The documentary follows Ferrell and his longtime friend and collaborator Harper Steele—who wrote on SNL from 1995 to 2008—as they embark on a road trip following Steele coming out as a transgender woman. Will & Harper premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January; it will also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival this month.
The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will kick off on February 4, 2025. Passes are available for purchase now at sbiff.org.
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